


It chills my life, but wittily

by unproductivepeanut (peanutmeg)



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 02:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9215456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peanutmeg/pseuds/unproductivepeanut
Summary: “Did…” a pause, and a glance shows Lukas looking hesitant even as he takes Philip’s hand. “Why don’t you like the water?”The answer sits on Philip’s tongue, and his vision blurs, the scenery shifting as he remembers –“My mom almost drowned me once.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to just work on my klaine fic, but I was talking with a friend om tumblr and conversation resulted in this fic. Thanks to wasntthatafunnyday for the conversation, and mypatronusisklaine for the quick read through!
> 
> Also, the title is kindly borrowed from Ralph Waldo Emmerson and his lovely poem, Water

It Chills my Life, but Wittily

 

* * *

  

“Okay, it’s a hundred degrees out and you’re not even shirtless. I’m pretty sure that’s some kind of crime.”

“You gonna report me to Helen?”

“I’d rather you take off your shirt and swim with me.”

“And I already told you,” Philip shakes his head as he gestures to the water, “I don’t.”

“Hey,” Lukas steps forward, his shirtless chest blocking Philip’s view of the water. “I don’t wanna pressure you,” a smile, and Lukas moves to press a kiss to Philip’s nose. “But you’re sweating. I _know_ you’re hot. So just…come in the water with me, yeah?”

“You just want me shirtless,” Philip replies, evading the question.

“Well yeah,” Lukas shrugs, carefree and smiling, “but I also don’t want you dying of heat stroke. So…come swimming with me?” He punctuates each word with a kiss, and by the last Philip is breathing harder due to something other than heat.

“I…” The sentence dies, unfinished, and Philip closes his eyes.

“Did…” a pause, and a glance shows Lukas looking hesitant even as he takes Philip’s hand. “Why don’t you like the water?”

The answer sits on Philip’s tongue, and his vision blurs, the scenery shifting as he remembers –

“My mom almost drowned me once.”

That wasn’t what he meant to say.

“Not on purpose,” he continues over Lukas’s gasp, “I don’t even think she really knew it was me, you know? But she got home late – well late for me.” Philip huffs a humorless laugh, “I was five, so I just know that I’d been asleep and it was dark. And then she was there and I knew she wasn’t right, that something was off. But I didn’t know, really. Now…well, her morphine or whatever she was taking was probably cut with something.

“She kept saying everything was dirty, and then she carried me into the bathroom. The water was running. I don’t know how I didn’t hear it before, my room was next door…but then she put me in the tub. Didn’t even let me change out of my pajamas. I kept asking her to let me out, but she just kept repeating herself, and then – then she pushed me under.”

“Philip –”

“The water was so loud, you know? It sounded like thunder, and she kept scrubbing at my pajamas. She didn’t keep me under though, but when she let me up my head was near the faucet. I couldn't catch my breath, you know?” He stops there, thinks back to the rush of water and scant gasps of air between the pouring water. “I don’t know how long I was in there, but when…when I woke up I was freezing. And Mom was passed out in the hall.”

“Philip,” Philip keeps his head down, can’t bring himself to look at Lukas for fear of seeing pity. “Hey,” Lukas’s voice is soft, as is the hand on Philip’s chin. Philip sighs, and then looks at his boyfriend. Lukas leans forward then, and Philip lets himself fall into the kiss. “You’re amazing you know that?” Lukas smiles as he breaks the kiss and leans back, a breath away.

“Don’t.” Philip shakes his head. “I didn’t – I never told her. She didn’t remember it, really, she just remembered turning on the water…and by the time she woke up I’d put on my robe."

“And after all that you still jumped – you pulled me out of the water. When I was shot.”

“Of course I did! I couldn’t – I wasn’t going to leave you there. God, Lukas, you’d been shot!”

“And you hate water,” Lukas replies. “You hate it because of something awful –”

“Something I kept secret, you mean.”

“That doesn’t make you any less amazing,” Lukas counters, tightening his hold around Philip’s shoulders. “Now,” Lukas stands and takes Philip’s hand, “why don’t we go to the barn.”

Philip looks up at his boyfriend, looks behind him to the barely-moving water.

“No.”

“Okay, well, we could go to your house, I guess. I –“

“No,” Philip uses Lukas’s arm for leverage, standing before he reaches for his shirt and throwing it behind him. “I can’t promise I won’t freak out. But I want to try.”

“You don’t have to prove –”

“I trust you,” Philip interrupts as he steps out of his jeans, “okay? Besides,” Philip continues, hoping to lighten the mood, “you were right about it being hot.”

Lukas smiles and takes Philip’s hand, pulling him in for a kiss.

When they separate, Philip takes a breath, and follows Lukas into the water.

 

 


End file.
